Sailor Moon Legend
by QuattreX
Summary: Over ten thousand years ago the nation of Aryanavarta struggled to thrive in a world dominated by Atlantis. It is in this world that a girl named Usagi, blessed by the Moon Goddess, is thrown into a destiny that leads her on an adventure greater than her
1. Prologue

Sailor Moon Legend..  
  
Feel free to skip down to the story. I'm just going to start with a little intro on the background of this story.  
  
The idea for this story came up while I was doing the final editing of Sailor Moon: World Rebirth (smwr). The latter part of that epic got a little complicated with all of the time travel going on and at one point I mentioned something about the beginnings of the Silver Millenium, and introduced a character from that time. From there I went to the first season of the Japanese sailor moon to find out the story of the moon kingdom that turns out to be quite different from the dub and adjusted my original plans for this story.  
  
One of the main things I've been working hard to work into my story is a sense of time frame fitting into the real world. In the dub of Sailor Moon they say that there's a 1000 years between the end of the moon kingdom and the beginning of the story. I followed this timeframe in smwr. However, in the original sailor moon the cats just refer to it as existing in 'ancient times' (They also say that the moon people were immortal). In order to keep continuity I'm going to keep this set date of the end of the Silver Millennium. Since Legend starts off on earth I wanted to take an ancient civilization from our past and my first thought - Atlantis. Unfortunately, after doing some research I found that Atlantis existed ten thousand years before the supposed end of the Moon Kingdom. So thus, I've moved the timeframe back over ten thousand years. At first this doesn't really fit with 'Silver Millennium', but this doesn't really need to represent 1000 years. In the Japanese version they use those same words rather than their Japanese equivalents. Anyway, back to Atlantis, there are many different theories on when and where Atlantis existed and I've chosen one that is different but detailed. [1] This places Atlantis in Indonesia, which was a huge land mass connecting Asia and Australia since the ocean level was 50- 100 meters lower. The only problem with picking a civilization that existed so long ago is figuring out the state of the rest of the world. This Atlantis existed during the last ice age, so northern Asia, Europe, and North America are nearly uninhabitable except for some nomadic groups. I've taken a second ancient civilization, that of the Aryans, to exist alongside Atlantis. Considering the amount of religious evidence it's more likely that the Aryans existed in this sense rather than Atlanteans, but since this is a fictious story anyway it's all good. In this story the Aryans have civilizations in Iran and India, Aryanavarta being in India. [2-3] In theory they should also be in north-western Asia in Germany and Russia although not as far south as the Mediterranean since they don't go there until the fall of Rome. That place gets its first major inhabitants from the survivors of Atlantis. The history of the Aryans dates back to before the beginning of the ice age and helps give insight into why they resent the empire of Atlantis. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself before even beginning to tell the story so now then:  
  
Sailor Moon: Legend Prologue  
  
It had taken Julius the length of a planting and harvest seasons to convince R'har to allow them to bring an archaeology expedition into the depths of Atlantis to research the beginnings of its civilization. The Atlanteans were right to be suspicious, since they were going there to get knowledge needed to wage a war against Atlantis, but that was beside the point. They _needed_ permission to go in due to the amount of equipment they wanted to bring in.  
  
Upon arriving he and his 'assistant researchers' set-up around and began to analyze the first set of ruins they found. After that he and his fellow researchers conveniently got 'lost' in the further depths of the ruins.  
  
It was clear that his Atlantean counterpart suspected trickery, but in the interest of peace between their two nations he said nothing. It was clear that he was not aware of the great secrets that the ruins held. It took weeks, and a few relocations of the main base research point before they found what they were looking for. It was while R'har was present overseeing their work that one of his assistants found the ruins they had come for. Although he couldn't leave his work there, he instructed for them to start transporting the equipment there as it appeared that it was quite far away from their current position and he wanted to leave there as soon as possible. That evening R'har returned to the city which allowed Julius to make the journey to the wall himself.  
  
It was even deeper down than he had expected it to be. It was necessary for them to navigate several treacherous caves and to climb down several ropes. As he misjudged a distance and fell farther than he would have liked at one point he cursed the fact that getting all of the equipment down this far would be a horrible ordeal. The fact that most of it needed to arrive intact jeopardized all that he had hoped to achieve.  
  
After a couple of hours of treacherous climbing and sliding they came upon the 'wall of the Gods' that he had not seen in years. The familiar pale red runes on the white stone immediately identified it as what he had been looking for. Of course, this was not his first time at finding this treasure.  
  
Ten years ago in his youth he made the journey to find out more about the ancient origins of Atlantis. He had been alone that time and just snuck into the ruins on his own. At that time this wall had been much closer to the surface, so he suspected that the instability of the earth in this area had caused the caves to shift. The security had also been a lot lighter at the time. He had only been able to take one piece of the wall, just enough that he could carry it then, but it possessed the knowledge he needed to return with the rest of the wall.  
  
"Excellent," he said to his assistant. "This is exactly what we're looking for." He wove his fingers along the grooves in the rock until they ended about a quarter of the way across the rock face. The remaining portion of the wall was empty. "How much of the equipment has been transported down here?"  
  
"At the rate it's being moved it should be ready to set-up by the end of the week," the man responded.  
  
"Good. I'd tell you to hurry up the pace but we've been working on this project for too long to risk making any mistakes. Have the others take the utmost care in making sure that R'har doesn't notice what we're doing down here." He took a look around the wall to see how much they could get out of there. Pointing at the wall he gave some instructions, "I want everything from here to the end. We'll have to suspend the crystals from the ceiling in order to retain the correct dimensions. Keeping the wall together is of the utmost importance."  
  
"Understood!" The man turned away to direct a couple of men who had just arrived with more of the teleportation crystals. Everything was falling together just as Julius had planned. Before the Atlanteans suspected anything the artifact would be back in Aryanavarta and he would be on his way back there.  
  
Over the next few days Julius expressed the pretense that his team had found all that they expected to find and that they would be leaving shortly. There was not even a speck of a clue that R'har doubted his words so the plan proceeded as planned. Everything went perfectly up to the evening of the day planned for the teleportation.  
  
At that time Julius was observing the scientists make the final adjustments to the crystals. The researchers in Aryanavarta had been notified of the artifact's impending arrival. Each of the twelve crystals had to be _exactly_ the same distance from the others as the corresponding crystals back in Aryanavarta. If the shape formed by them wasn't exactly the same as the shape formed by the corresponding ones back home then contents of the teleportation would be distorted during transit. It had taken them years to perfect their methods for aligning the crystals, as anything less than perfection could lead to disaster.  
  
Everything was going fine until there came a ruckus from the floor above them. Julius was about to question what was going on when everything went silent. The silence was pierced by an only too-familiar voice.  
  
"Julius, we know all about your operations down here. Come up here and back with me now and we can talk this out rationally."  
  
Curses! How did they find out? Had they suspected it all along or had they infiltrated his team with one of their own? Regardless, he had to make decisions quickly. He turned to the head scientist.  
  
"How close are you to having the crystals full aligned?" he asked quietly.  
  
"We're working on the final alignments, to a thousandth of a unit. Eight crystals to go."  
  
"Good. Keep on working. Activate them as you finish each alignment. We have to get these back to Aryanavarta at all costs or everything will have been for nothing." As he stepped over to where he could view the upper floor the quiet humming of resonating crystals entered his ears. It would not be until the final stages before it became loud enough to hear above.  
  
"Surely R'har there has been a misunderstanding. A few of my assistants who couldn't accept that we had not found what we originally expected to find decided to go exploring on their own and one of them got hurt. We're merely treating his broken limb and preparing the equipment to hoist him out of here." Julius spoke calmly, as if one of the most important goals of his life was not about to be completed.  
  
"Don't avoid the matter," R'har stated. "We know your goal is to gain knowledge of the abilities from the ancient days of Atlantis. There is a reason why this area is in ruins, and its cause should remain sealed down here for all of eternity."  
  
Julius glanced back at the scientist. He held up two fingers signaling that they had two more crystals remaining. "Surely you don't believe that we would-"  
  
"Julius, either you come up here right now or in the count of five we're all coming down. 1."  
  
Julius knew that he could go and the scientists would be able to finish the process. However, he doubted that he'd be able to get away from Atlantis alive. The Atlanteans were extremely strict in these types of situations and in the past they had not hesitated to execute every single member of the teams he had sent to investigate this place in the past. After all, in a world controlled by Atlantis, every decision and act the Atlanteans made was the correct one. It was not worth sending these artifacts back to Aryanavarta if he would not be there to learn their secrets.  
  
"2."  
  
"Just let me grab my papers-"  
  
"3."  
  
The humming was quite audible now. He walked back over the scientists. "Just send it now," he said.  
  
"But the last one is not yet in alignment-"  
  
"4."  
  
"It doesn't matter! Just get it out of here." There was a delay after the '4'. Julius was certain that they could now hear the crystals resonating with each other up above. His beliefs were confirmed with Atlantean soldiers dropping into the room.  
  
Making decisions in an instant Julius decided what he was going to do. There was no way he was going to remain in Atlantis to die for his nation and he was willing to risk a 1% chance for this mission to succeed. Pushing the scientists aside he stepped into the teleportation field in front of the wall, reached back and tapped the final crystal to complete the resonation process. He tried to get away from that out-of-alignment crystal but it was already too late. To him, the entire world began to vibrate. Everything went white as the matter in the cave was exchanged with the empty air back in Aryanvarta. His surroundings vanished.  
  
When his vision returned he was looking at the scientists he had left back at home. He could not move yet, but everything seemed to be all right. Maybe the scientists had managed to complete the arrangements in those last few seconds. Everything seemed all right, that was until the crystals stopped resonating together. Suddenly a splitting pain shot through his arm and across his face. Splitting-literally. His major arteries had probably reformed intact but everything else was damaged and distorted. Although he was in horrible agony his still-rational part of his brain told him that it appeared that the damage stopped right at his face, so although it was bleeding the rest of his head was most likely not damaged. He collapsed to the ground as the researchers rushed around him doing their best to keep his blood inside his body. Behind him the stone wall broke into a few pieces and fell apart -it appeared that another of the crystals had not been completely in sync with the alignment. But the important thing was that he had gotten it there with himself, and a minor setback such as a life-threatening injury was not going to stop him now.  
  
A little short, but there's a jump in time to the beginning of the adventure. If you're reading this please review and let me know what would be better, a fic with girls with the same personalities as the anime, or original characters. [Either way, the name of the main character is still Usagi]  
  
References (just the directories since ff.net doesn't allow web addresses.  
  
[1] www.atlan.org/ [2] www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Zoroastrim/ [3] www.geocities.com/gambanreidi.geo/ 


	2. Chapter 1: Pearl in the Sands of Fate

Sailor Moon Legend  
Chapter 1 'Pearl in the Sands of Fate'  
  
The day had started off as every one had before it. The sun's rays pierced the   
hills to the east, filling the land with the warmth it had lost during the   
night. By that time the fields were already dotted with the early shift. She   
always watched their silhouettes against the rising sun as the breakfast meal   
cooked. Every day began like this, and it gave a person a sense of calmness,   
that it would be another peaceful day, and that such things would go on forever.   
As the sun was glorifying the land with its last rays of light before making its   
dip below the far horizon the soldiers came.  
  
What seemed like hundreds of men in golden armour surrounded and marched through   
the streets of the village. Knocking down doors, forcing people out of their   
homes, and setting fire to random buildings they worked their way through the   
streets. All young girls old enough to have children but young enough to not   
have them were removed from their homes and rounded up together.  
  
"Co-operate and you'll be able to return to your homes," the commanders called   
out. "The Crown needs female candidates for its latest project. From all the   
land only few will be chosen, and the rest will be able to return to your homes.   
Co-operate and you will not be hurt. Resistance will only result in more   
suffering."  
  
As one young woman was led away from her home her mother came screaming out of   
the house behind her with kitchen utensils in her hands. Slashing at the   
soldiers around her daughter she cried for them to leave her child alone. With   
the snap of his fingers an officer gave the order to remove the woman   
forcefully. Two soldiers unsheathed their short swords and removed the woman's   
arms. The woman fell to the ground, her life bleeding out of her. The soldiers   
cleaned off their weapons and left her there as a spectacle for the other   
soldiers, and as a deterrence to any further resistance. The deterrence was   
effective.  
  
In a shack at the far end of town the parents peeked out the windows to watch   
the ensuing chaos while the children huddled together under blankets in a   
corner.  
  
"Usagi, I'm scared," the younger girl softly whined.  
  
"Don't worry Meiko, it will be all right. We're not in the town itself so they   
might not even come here." Usagi tried her best to get her sister to settle down   
without going into a panic herself. It seemed like she would be able to do it   
until screams echoed from the village and the shivering and whimpering began all   
over again. Their papa whispered something to mama which caused mama to glance   
over at the girls and look back out the window before hurrying over to them.  
  
"Both of you," she said, "Please hide in the underground until the soldiers have   
gone. You also have to be quiet while you're waiting."  
  
"But it's so dark and scary down there. I don't want to be down there alone,"   
Meiko cried.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be with you," Usagi told her. "Mama and Papa will take care   
of the soldiers but we have to stay quiet so they'll go away quicker." Mama led   
Usagi and Meiko over to the other side of the room. Sliding a table to the side   
she lifted up a floorboard revealing a ladder leading down to the room below.   
"You go first Meiko-chan," Usagi whispered as she took hold of the floorboard.   
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Mama returned to the window to see how much   
time they had left. The ladder was only strong enough to support the weight of   
one person at a time so Usagi waited for Meiko to call up that she had reached   
the bottom.  
  
Usagi was about to enter the hole when soldiers began to bang on the door for   
them to open up. Thinking quickly she knocked the ladder away from the hole and   
slid the floor plank back into place. She slid the table over top of it just as   
a soldier burst through the door. Without stopping Usagi dove for the corner of   
the room and underneath a blanket, desperate to draw all attention to herself.   
Fearing to anger them Mama and Papa stayed motionless beside the door. Mama was   
about to move to help Usagi but Papa held her back. After putting up a little   
bit of resistance Usagi allowed herself to be led out of the room, hoping and   
hoping that Meiko would stay quiet until the soldiers had gone.  
  
In the center of the village Usagi found that the soldiers had gathered most of   
the girls around her age, younger and older. "What's going on Mari-chan?" she   
whispered to one of her friends.  
  
"They're just gathering up all of the girls. The commander says that the people   
in the capital need some specific girls for a project they're working on and   
once they've chosen we can return here."  
  
"I wonder if it's true," Usagi whispered.  
  
"I hope so."  
  
After a while the soldiers stopped bringing new girls to the group and the   
commander addressed them. "It's a day-long march to the capital from here. We   
are going to march all night and arrive there tomorrow morning." The soldiers   
began to form up in lines around the girls. "Slowness or resistance will not be   
tolerated," he stated while pointing at the poor dead mother who was missing   
both of her arms. Panic and tears rushed through the girls as the ones who   
hadn't seen the sight yet were exposed to it. "Fully co-operate and you'll be   
able to return here within the week. Forward march!"  
  
Usagi glanced back at the village as the last of the sun's circle disappeared   
behind the western hills, walking with the dread feeling that she wouldn't be   
seeing that sight again for a long time.  
  
*****  
  
The room was dark, dank, and crowded. Usagi had gotten the gist of the situation   
just by listening to the various conversations since they arrived. There were   
woman from all over the place gathered in what appeared to be Mohenjo's prison   
cells. Mohenjo was the capital of their nation, Aryanavarta. She supposed they   
didn't have anywhere else secure enough to keep this many women. They were all   
girls really, as was herself. Apparently the selection process had not yet begun   
yet, meals were served only once a day, and the only place to relieve yourself   
was a few pits at the back of the room.  
  
"Usagi! There you are!" Her friend Miya came over beside her. Well, she wasn't   
really a friend, but they knew each other. "Where's Meiko? I haven't been able   
to find her anywhere."  
  
"She stayed at home."  
  
"Oh… you mean… I see." Miya became silent for a moment. "Well, that's probably a   
good thing. Who knows what's going to happen to us here."  
  
Usagi didn't say anything. She didn't really have anything to say. Miya appeared   
to get bored and moved on to find other people. Usagi continued her analysis of   
the room they were in.  
  
The only ways out, were through the cell door they came in through, and perhaps   
through the toilets, but she had no idea where something like that would lead.   
There were a few windows but they were much too high and way too small. There   
wasn't really much to do. They had arrived in the morning as the commander had   
said but all they could do was sit around and talk or walk back and forth   
through all the people. The pale yellow dress she had hiked in through the night   
was pretty dirty and the room was starting to get smelly. Fortunately or   
unfortunately that night was the night that the selection began.  
  
Shortly after sunset when there was still a little bit of light coming in   
through the windows the guards came and instructed the girls to follow   
single-file out of the jail and down deeper into the palace. There were soldiers   
posted here and there to make sure that things ran as smoothly as possible. A   
lot of the girls were really eager to get out of the cells and crowded around   
the entrance even though they were only allowed to leave one at a time. Usagi   
hung back and watched them. A group of girls were huddled in a corner not making   
any move to leave. One of the soldiers came inside the cell and told them to get   
up. When they didn't move he kicked a couple of them to the side and ordered   
them again to get up. He was getting ready to kick again one of the cowering   
girls again when one of the others stood up and put herself between them. In a   
flash the soldier drew his sword and smacked her across the head with the flat   
side of it. She fell to the floor dazed. Not wanting to get hit themselves or   
see their friend get hit again the other girls got up and said they were going.   
Usagi turned from them and went out into the hallway. The room was getting   
darker and the footing was tricky in a few places.  
  
As they started to head underground some odd glowing crystals appeared on the   
walls that Usagi had never seen or heard of before. She wondered why they   
weren't used in more places as they seemed very useful. Maybe it was a city   
thing. A spiraling staircase took them down deeper than she had thought it was   
possible to go. She was walking in sort of a daze, not really paying attention   
to where they were going since everything looked the same when suddenly the   
light coming from the crystals died out. Everything went pitch black. She felt   
someone grab her by the arm as she was pulled through a doorway to the side that   
she hadn't even noticed. She struggled a bit but the grip was strong. She was   
pulled back away from the doorway and a hand was put over her mouth. She   
struggled to get free as the lights outside in the corridor lit back up and the   
line of girls was forced to proceed. A voice whispered into her ear.  
  
"Stop fighting. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to get you out of here."   
Usagi stopped fighting. She didn't really trust him just for saying something   
like that but it was probably better than going farther into the depths of the   
palace where the other girls were being herded to. "If you need an explanation   
then to put it simply, if Julius gets his hands on you at this point of time the   
world as you know it will come to an end. Now follow me quietly. We're going to   
go to one of my research rooms where I can explain things." Usagi was really   
confused now, but really had no choice but to follow him.  
  
The strange man led her up a series of staircases in walls that she didn't even   
see until he entered them. After they stumbled through the dark around a few   
corners they came to a place where he had left a lantern which made the going a   
little bit easier. On closer inspection Usagi noticed that it wasn't really a   
lantern. There was no flame in it, instead it was holding something similar to   
those crystals hanging on the walls. After they had walked for a few minutes she   
asked about it.  
  
"Oh, this? This is one of the many secret devices that they're coming up with   
down in The Lab. It's some sort of ancient device I suppose. Even though I use   
it I wish that they weren't uncovering such things." The walk was silent for the   
rest of the way.  
  
Finally they ended up in a room with a desk and a few shelves and real lanterns   
on the walls that had to be lighted. He pointed to the chair. "Take a seat while   
I try to give you an idea of what's going on." He paced back and forth across   
the room. "Now, where should I start…"  
  
"Well, my name is Seran and at one time I was in charge of all research projects   
going on in Aryanavarta. That all changed eleven years ago when Julius appeared   
out of nowhere with an ancient artifact from Atlantis. By the time he arrived he   
had already deciphered the writings on it, which gave instructions on how to   
make a couple of things we had only dreamed of. One allowed two people to send   
notes to each other over long distances. The other involved moving things over   
large distances in an instant. It wasn't long before he was in charge of all of   
the research projects and I was completely locked out."  
  
"Five years ago he revealed to us that the artifact was actually part of a   
larger wall that he had found hidden in the ruins beneath Atlantis' capital   
city. It took him years of negotiations but after a lot of work last year he was   
able to lead an expedition of his 'assistant researchers' back to Atlantis where   
they used his technology to steal a larger piece of the wall; everything they   
found the runes on in fact. Now normally aside from the fact that we were kind   
of stealing this knowledge I wouldn't have a problem with it, but something is   
seriously not right. Some of the things they are discovering down in that lab   
are wondrous like those crystals you saw that emit light. But some of them, I   
believe, are things that no sane human should be involved in. Of course the   
promise of weapons and the such keeps him popular with the King, but some of the   
things he's coming up with are just ….demonic in nature. Manipulating people's   
souls and wielding forces that I can only describe as 'magical' that have no   
scientific basis at all are not things that should be taken lightly. I was   
afraid that we would discover something that would allow him to do more than   
just gain mastery over our foes when he started to churn new inventions out   
fairly quickly."  
  
"Uh…. But what does this have to do with me? And why did you grab me? What's   
really going on down there?" Usagi finally managed to ask.  
  
"Oh, sorry; I guess I was rambling a bit. Anyway, it was then that I decided to   
analyze the wall for myself. I didn't understand any of the pale red markings   
that the research team was deciphering but I decided to take a look anyway. I   
was just casually looking it over when I found some markings outside of the area   
of red ones, on the plain rock at the edge of the artifact. They were notes   
written in our own language. At first I thought one of the researchers had just   
scratched some notes in at the side but for some strange reason, when I pointed   
them out no one else could see them! The wording was unclear as it used an   
ancient syntax of our language but strangely it spoke of events as if it were   
talking about the present. There are some unearthly forces working behind the   
scenes here but if what is written there is true, which I now believe to be so,   
the situation has become a lot clearer and a lot more deadly than I had ever   
thought." Seran walked over and fumbled through a mess of notes on his desk.  
  
"There wasn't much room and only the main points of sentences were written but   
basically it said that the 'red runes' were 'corrupted' by an 'evil god'. Next   
were written some dimensions which I figured to be a small flat cylinder shape   
made out of a combination of a variety of materials. It gave rough instructions   
on how to summon a 'goddess' of the 'moon' and ended with that."  
  
"It didn't really give much information so I had to do some research on   
summoning goddesses first. I'm a man of science and I don't like these   
'mystical' things that I can't explain rationally but considering what I had   
seen up 'till then it was worth a shot. It turns out that this moon goddess is a   
deity that the Atlanteans worship. Now with the state our countries' relations   
are in after the incident it was quite a challenge to get the details about this   
goddess. I had to…. Ah, sorry, I got carried away again. Back to the point."  
  
"Anyway, with the minimum summoning requirements; a full moon, assorted flowers   
arranged in patterns and the like I was finally ready to go."  
  
---  
  
Seran looked out over the field around him in the darkness. It would soon be   
time to start. A slight breeze ruffled the blades of grass around him and his   
dirty blond hair. He adjusted for the umpteenth time the pendant sitting on a   
round table he had constructed for the event. He looked back to admire the empty   
field again when a light caught his eye. Turning he saw that the event he had   
been waiting for was starting. The moon began to rise above the horizon.   
Snapping out of his trance he got back to the work at hand. Placing a cup on one   
side of the table he filled up to the brim with wine. On the other side he   
placed a plate which he then filled with bread and pastries. He stepped back and   
waited for the bottom of the moon to crest the land below it. Just after it had   
reached that point he took a deep breath and began his chant.  
  
"Goddess of the Moon, may I offer you an oasis on your nightly hunt." He lifted   
the glass of wine up, toasting it to the moon. "I would be humbled if you would   
join me in these humble surroundings for some wine and pastries, and some   
business." He placed the glass back on the table."  
  
……….and nothing happened.  
  
……….and still nothing happened.  
  
Seran was about to give up on this mystical nonsense when the moon suddenly   
seemed to get brighter. Next a beam of light seemed to flow from the moon and   
light up the ground around him. At first he couldn't see anything, but then a   
figure appeared in the distance. As it got closer he saw that it was a person   
riding on a chariot. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The chariot crested   
the trees in the distance and dropped down into the field. The chariot rode up   
to him, turned in front of him and a woman dressed in white robes stepped off.   
The chariot disappeared as soon as her feet were on the ground. She strolled up   
to the other side of the table and observed him intently, her hands clasped   
behind her back. She seemed to have a pale white glow surrounding her, but that   
could have just been the moon in the distance. For a moment there was silence,   
until Seran realized that he should speak first.  
  
"A… Ar….. Are you the Moon Goddess?"  
  
"I am as you say, I am Selene." Her voice was so pure and clear. Seran wanted to   
hear it again. "What business do you have with me?" Her face had an ageless look   
to it, and although she was extremely beautiful, her face still held the   
strength and certainty of a warrior.  
  
"I… uh… some writing on wall told me to see you. All it said was to give you   
this pendant I prepared." He gestured with his hand towards the object in the   
middle of the table. He glanced down at it for a moment and looked back up   
quickly. He didn't want to take his eyes off of her, now that she was before   
him. Selene came closer to the table and reached out a hand towards it. She   
slowly lowered her fingers. As she touched it colour burst from her hand,   
infusing the pendant. Its plain cylinder shape began to change, taking on a more   
aesthetic look, but remaining round. As she lifted her hand away a crescent moon   
formed on top of it and the colour faded. The entire pendant darkened to an   
almost-black colour, quite a contrast from its original silvery glimmer. She   
seemed almost surprised by her handiwork.  
  
"So, the time has finally come. This is the best that I can do. The conditions   
you have summoned me with limit my power and there is an evil power growing   
nearby that is dampening my will." She closed her eyes and for a moment seemed   
to be listening or feeling for something in the air.  
  
"I don't think I understand…" Seran started to say when Selene began to lift her   
arm back up again. This time she reached over and touched his forehead. A   
picture suddenly appeared in his mind. It was of a place that he glimmly   
remembered, down in the depths of the palace. After tracing a circle on his   
forehead she brought her arm down and dropped a couple of crystals on the table   
in front of him.   
  
"A few days from now a large number of young girls will be passing that place.   
Wait there and carry these crystals with you. When the time is right the lights   
in the hallway will go out. Reach out and grab the girl standing in front of the   
doorway at that time. Give her this pendant and send her to Atlantis, where I   
can be summoned at my full strength."  
  
"This girl…" Seran chose his words carefully, "Who is she?"  
  
"If you do not find this girl and send her away from this place, she will most   
certainly be turned to the darkness, and the world as you know it will cease to   
exist. I will do my best to protect her, but hopefully she will be able to take   
up the brunt of this task herself." Selene took a step back.  
  
Seran wanted to hear more, he wanted more to be explained, but he wasn't sure   
what to ask. He was about to speak up when the moonlight suddenly became very   
bright and he was forced to look away. Realizing what was going on he quickly   
looked back but it was already too late. Everything had returned to normal, and   
the moon was sitting partway up the sky giving off its normal amount of light.   
Wondering what was going on in that a man such as he should experience such an   
event he picked up the glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. He lifted up the   
blackened pendant and traced his finger along the crescent moon. It had been   
heavy when he had made it but now it was as if he was lifting a piece of bread.   
It didn't seem magical in any way to him, but he would definitely do as the   
Goddess had asked of him.  
  
---  
  
"And that's about it. Now you know as much as I do about what's going on." The   
room became silent. Seran shuffled through the masses of papers on his desk.   
After a few minutes Usagi finally spoke.  
  
"What will happen to all those girls that are going to be checked by Julian?   
Will they be…" She didn't want to say it.  
  
"Killed? Raped?" Seran finished for her. "Probably not. I imagine that a few   
will probably end up in soldiers' beds but Julius has uses for them.  
  
"Will they be allowed to return to their homes?"  
  
"Unfortunately I doubt that it will happen. Even if none of them possess the   
spiritual power that Julius is looking for he can still easily take control of   
their souls. Some of them will return home, but they won't be themselves   
anymore. The majority of them will probably stay here and do whatever that   
damned rock is telling him to do."  
  
"I want to go home," Usagi stated.  
  
"Well, there's nothing I can do to stop you from doing so. I have to remain here   
in order to avoid suspicion and to keep an eye on what Julius is doing. When   
Julius doesn't find what he's looking for he's not going to give up. He's going   
to keep on sending out soldiers to gather girls for him to test. I'm asking you   
to help me stop something horrible from happening."  
  
Usagi considered her options. She really wanted to return home, but if even half   
of the things Seran had been talking about were true she would only be putting   
her family into more danger. Although she had promised Meiko she would return,   
she had also promised that she would protect her. She didn't have to break the   
first promise, she'd just be returning later. "Can I see the pendant?"  
  
"Yes, sure," Seran said. He pulled it out of one of his pockets and handed it to   
her. "It seems normal to me but it was after all crafted by a Goddess."  
  
Usagi lifted the pendant up in front of her to get a better look at it. It was   
black just as Seran had described it, which made it seem unholy rather than   
holy. The lighting was fairly poor and she squinted to get a better look at the   
crescent carved into it when suddenly it lit up. The light seemed to be coming   
from right above her head, but she knew that there was no lamp above her.   
"What…?"  
  
Seran looked over from his notes to see what had grabbed Usagi's attention and   
was stopped in his tracks. "What is it?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Your forehead. There's a crescent-shaped mark in the middle of your forehead."   
Usagi held up a hand, and sure enough the light appeared to be coming from   
herself. She ran her finger over her skin but it felt no different. Seran   
rummaged through a box on the floor and came up with a metal plate. "Sorry I   
don't have a mirror, but this should be good enough." Usagi brought it up to her   
face, and found it to be just as Seran had said. A crescent-shaped mark on her   
forehead was glowing. She watched it glow for a minute, and then watched it dim   
and disappear.  
  
"If you were looking for a sign, that would be it," Seran said. "It looks like   
the Moon Goddess has already marked you.  
  
"I don't remember anything like that ever happening," Usagi replied.  
  
"Maybe the memory will come to you later."  
  
"Maybe..." Usagi stood up and gave her muscles a good stretch. "So what do I do   
now? I have to go to Atlantis? This city is the farthest I've ever been away   
from home."  
  
"Don't worry. I've made some arrangements. We'll get you cleaned up and properly   
prepared. I think it would be best if you were to leave tonight though. The   
sooner you get away from this city the better it will be for all of us." He   
grabbed his lantern with the glowing crystals and motioned for Usagi to follow   
him through the door to the room. He led her through a maze of passages. Some   
regular, and some hidden until she was passing through them. It didn't take long   
for her to lose her sense of direction but apparently he knew exactly where he   
was going.  
  
'How far are we going?' she wondered. 'How big is this palace?'  
  
Finally he led her up a final flight of stairs with a shutter at the top that   
opened up to fresh air. The sun had completely disappeared and it was now quite   
late, but it was still brighter than down below. "If you're wondering," Seran   
said. "The tunnels run well into the city on all sides, with a few entrances   
here and there. Anyone who tries to enter the palace from that way would   
probably get lost pretty quickly. It's easier going out than trying to get in."   
Usagi nodded. He led her through a bunch of back alleys until they reached their   
destination. It was probably for the best that he didn't take her out in the   
street in her condition. The building he stopped at had a stable with horses   
behind it. From nearby she could hear the chuckling and shouting of men gourging   
themselves in ale. Seran knocked on a back door of the building. For a while it   
seemed like no one was going to answer and she thought maybe they should knock   
again. Suddenly the door swung open and a chubby-looking man appeared in the   
opening.  
  
"Ah! Seran! You're right on time! This is the girl? Let's get her inside!" He   
ushered them in quickly and shut the door behind them, taking careful note to   
make sure that the wooden door's lock was secure. "Come this way," he said,   
leading the way. "It would only cause problems if you were seen by my   
customers." He led them up a narrow staircase at the back of the building up to   
the second floor. It appeared to be for the employees of what Usagi assumed to   
be .... some kind of Inn maybe? The staircase was so narrow she couldn't see how   
the chubby man could possibly be walking through it without getting stuck.  
  
The room he led them to had a small tub of steaming water to the side, a cot   
with some clothes lying on it and a woman waiting for them. Once the door was   
closed behind them Seran spoke up. "Gohan, this is Usagi. This is the girl we   
need to get out of the city."  
  
The chubby man turned to Usagi. "I see. Usagi, this is my wife Alanna. She'll   
get you cleaned up since it would be a little awkward if I were to do it. Now   
excuse me, I have to get back to the guests." Gohan went back out the door and   
Seran followed him. When they were done Usagi just stood there, unsure of what   
to do. However as soon as Alanna opened her mouth she began to emit an aura of   
joliness (obviously not literally).  
  
"Wow, aren't you a mess!" She exclaimed looking over Usagi's dirty face, dirty   
blonde hair and filthy whitish dress. "All right, get those clothes off and get   
into the tub. I bet there's a beautiful young woman under all that dirt and I'm   
sure afterwards you'll feel a whole lot better!"  
  
[insert gratuitous bath scene here]  
  
As Usagi was drying herself off Alanna went to sort through the clothes on the   
bed. "You know," she said. "I have a daughter a little younger than you who was   
taken to Julius in his first rounds of gathering girls. Gohan and Seran have   
been friends for a long time so Seran helped us get her out. Now she's off at a   
relative's home out in the country where she'll be safe. I hope I get to see her   
again."  
  
Usagi stepped out of the tub to finish drying herself. "I'm sure you'll be able   
to see her again. You have to. I'm going to see Meiko-chan again too," Usagi   
stated, finally saying something for the first time.  
  
"Who's that?"  
  
"Oh, uh.... she's my little sister. I promised that I would protect her." For a   
minute neither of them said anything. Alanna began to look back and forth   
between Usagi and the clothes.  
  
"Hm..... I think you be able to just pass off as a boy if we cut off your hair   
about here," she said, holding her hand just below Usagi's ears. Usagi   
instinctively reached back and grabbed hold of her hair protectively. Alanna   
laughed. "You're right; it'd be a shame to cut off all that hair; and on second   
thought, even if we were to change your hair your face is still much too   
beautiful to pass of as a boy's. If you promise to be careful we won't remove   
any hair."  
  
"I promise," Usagi quickly said. Alanna laughed again. Usagi smiled.  
  
"Here, try on these clothes."  
  
When Usagi was done getting dressed she found herself in some boys' clothes.   
Giving a questioning look to Alanna the woman laughed again and said, "I know I   
said that I wouldn't turn you into a boy but I'm sure that you'll find these   
clothes much more suitable for traveling than the clothes you were wearing."  
  
Usagi picked up the pendant where she had sat it on a table. "What should I do   
with this?"  
  
Alanna took a look at it for a moment and then turned back to the bundle on the   
bed. "I have something perfect for that, although it's unfortunate that there's   
nothing attached to it that would allow it to be latched onto your clothes in   
some way. Ah! Here we are." When she turned back around she was holding a small   
pouch with a string looped through the top of it. "You can put it in here and   
wear it around your neck or wherever else you'd like to tie it to."  
  
"Thank you," Usagi replied and dropped the black thing into the pouch. She tied   
it around her neck and slid it beneath her shirt. It was the only clue as to   
what the heck she was supposed to do in Atlantis.  
  
She was just taking care of the finishing touches when there was a knock on the   
door. Alanna went to open the door and Gohan and Seran came inside. "Are you   
almost done?" Gohan asked. "I hate to do this to you but I'd be best if you were   
to leave right away. My employees aren't exactly the most reliable people and   
I'm worried that one of them will betray what we're doing here for a little bit   
of coin."  
  
"We're just working on the finishing touches," Alanna said. Seran came over to   
Usagi and held out a piece of paper.  
  
"Usagi," I know you probably can't read but this is a letter to a man in   
Atlantis which explains everything that I've told to you. The name of the man   
you need to meet with in Atlantis is Ranis Tahar. People usually call him R'har   
for short, it's kind of like a nickname that he's preferably adopted for   
himself. If we're lucky, he'll know more about this situation than we do and   
will have some sort of idea of what the moon goddess expects of us." Seran   
placed the piece of paper into a sack. "I've also placed in here a map and some   
travel directions and enough money to take a boat to Atlantis. There's also some   
food in here as well."  
  
"A boat?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Yes, the fastest way to get to the center of Atlantis is to take a boat. You   
can completely avoid the Mongolian lands to the east between them and us and   
also there is an extensive canal system in Atlantis that leads up to the capital   
from all directions. I'm sure that the trip won't be too much trouble."  
  
Alanna came over and wrapped a robe around Usagi and pulled up the hood. "There,   
this hides your face and your hair. Once you get out of the lands where the   
soldiers are searching for girls you should be okay. Just remember to stay out   
of really shady places during the night. There are still plenty of nasty men out   
there without having anything to do with what's going on in the palace." Seran   
continued with his instructions.  
  
"A couple days' walk south of here is an ocean port where you should be able to   
find a boat heading for Atlantis. Although we're not on very good terms with   
their country right now there are still plenty of recreational and business   
boats traveling back and forth." Usagi nodded.  
  
Gohan came back from peeking outside the room. "Okay, we should get a move on."  
  
"Of course, of course," Seran said. "Come on Usagi, let's get you off on your   
way." After getting an unexpected hug from Alanna, Usagi followed Seran out of   
the room, back down the narrow staircase and out the back door of the Inn. "The   
least I can do is lead you to the city limits."  
  
It must have taken them at least a couple hours to twist their way through the   
back alleys of the city to its borders. Seran insisted that it was the fastest   
way out, even compared to the main roadways. At last he brought her to a small   
door in the outside wall. "Well Usagi, I'm sorry that I've turned your life   
upside down this evening. If you have any serious trouble on your way you can   
always pray to the moon goddess for guidance, since she did say that she'd look   
after you a bit."  
  
Usagi nodded and bowed in thanks. She guessed she should at least be a little   
thankful. She was after all out of the city and safe from whatever unspeakable   
things were going on in the depths of this city. Usagi only wished that she   
could have things back to normal as she headed off in a general southerly   
direction under the faint light the moon granted her from behind the clouds.  
  
  
*******  
  
AN/ At one point I was considering turning this into an experiment in fanfiction   
and writing the characters with the same personalities and names as their   
counterparts in the anime but in the end I've decided to try writing it with my   
original personalities. (The main character's name is Usagi for historical   
reasons.) 


End file.
